Everlasting
by Luvisia
Summary: A young woman, destined to lead a peaceful woodland tribe, finds herself caught in the middle of a war... AU, set in an unknown timeline. OC-centric. Rating may increase in the future.


**A/N: Hello everybody. This here is a little side-story I'll be working on whilst trying to get myself back into a writing mindset. It's not to be taken seriously until it gets serious. ;) **

**I will be straight up. This is an OC-centric story. Maybe she's a Sue. You can decide. It is written purely for my own benefit and entertainment. If you do not wish to read such a thing, by all means, turn back. If you criticize it, I gave you fair warning, and I frankly do not give a flip, for lack of a more polite word.**

**BUT if you're an avid OC fan, or a romance fan, or a Ganondorf fan, or a Link fan, or WHATEVER THE HELL, go right ahead and dive into it!**

**Now... onward!**

**Disclaimer: Hyrule and all its canon components belong to Nintendo, the devourer of hopes and dreams. The Ginko and original characters belong to yours truly, as well as this plot, my version of everything, and this story. (For once, I'm not following a game timeline. Holy shit.)**

**BOOK ONE: INTO THE INFERNO**

**- Chapter One: To Seek -**

_You know their story? He gained everlasting immortality by the prank of a goddess; a magical tree and spring of youth._

_**And how do you suggest I find the place?**_

_...Of course, if you would like to know how to discover their secret, that fee will be much more steep._

-S-

"Jippetneya Enoren, Master of Fire. I'm not so sure I deserve that title, Master."

A pair of large blue eyes flitted between the individual raindrops that dripped through the air, the dim orange glow of the firelight refracted in their mirror-like surfaces, casting small flickers of light that naturally drew the attention of the retina. These eyes were set in the pale white face of a young woman, still smooth with her unimpressive age and naivety.

"Jippetneya, are you questioning my competency? I would not have given you the title if I did not think you were ready for it."

She turned her head with a jerky movement, tearing herself away from the mesmerizing rain.

"Absolutely not, Master!" the girl replied quickly and honestly, almost fearfully. She did not want Kethro, an Elder, to think that she had insulted his descision.

A man stood behind her, his field-green eyes betraying experience and knowledge beyond his years. This was due to the fact that Kethro indeed _was _beyond his years. He appeared to be a twenty-something lad, but in reality, this man was well over a century old, two centuries, even. His face set into a deep frown, and he locked eyes with the worrisome girl.

"What is troubling you, child? You are not acting like yourself. Under any other circumstance, you would be overjoyed at the news of your mastery."

She wished to turn her head away, but she knew any attempts to avoid Kethro's direct and no-nonsense interrogations would leave her empty-handed. The silver-haired girl drew her eyes down to her lap, where she had been nervously fiddling with the material of her dress. She would not tell him the whole truth, as it was unescessary, but she would reveal some of it.

". . . I am not confident in my Leadership," she started softly, glancing up to gauge his reaction.

Kethro's face bore a light smile, and he approached the girl, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "There is no reason to doubt your abilities, Jippetneya. I know that the element of water isn't bending to your will easily, but all good things come to those who wait."

"It isn't just that, Master. Not only do I fear my ability to control the ancient elements, but I fear that I will be an unwise Leader." She looked up, a sorrowful expression on her face. "I have heard a thousand times that I am ridiculously naive. Isn't it true?"

Kethro pat her shoulder a bit gruffly. "Nonsense. You are still young. You will gain knowledge and wisdom with _time._" The red-haired Elder dropped his hand, letting it fall to his side, and turned to the adjacent window. "Your concern is appreciated by the people, but only doubt when you must. Do not let it be a constant in your life."

The silver-haired girl rose from her seat, taking the edges of her skirt between thumb and forefinger and curtsying politely. "Thank you for your reassuring words, Master. And thank you for teaching and guiding me through the mastery of fire, for all of these years."

"Many years to you," Kethro mused with a contemplative look. He brushed a hand towards the door. "Begone with you, Jippetneya, Vessek is awaiting you in the underbrush alongside the path."

The girl chuckled at the man's warning, wrapping a white cloth about her hair and closing the door gently as she exited the house. It was carved from wood, like all other homes in Elyon Grove - carved with such a talented hand that one might think the home had grown from the tree naturally. That was the way of the Ginko people. They became one with the forest, living in harmony, in a symbiotic relationship - taking care of nature while it took care of them and supplied them with anything they could ever need.

Jippetneya loved the Grove, but she had always been curious about what lay beyond the confines of the thick-growing dome of forest that surrounded it. She had never taken it upon herself to scale one of the massive trees that helped make up the canopy - the task was a true hero's feat - but she had heard whispers of what could be seen from above. Miles of forest, the tales versed, and an immense green field far to the north. A great stone peak, almost like a tree, but without any sign of vegetation was observed from the east - a vast blue lake and empty, barren land to the west. And even farther north, over the slopes and tall grasses of the field, thin _spires_ of unknown origin could be seen, shimmering and gleaming in the sunlight.

She wished to see it all for herself one day, as her imagination ran wild with the pictures her mind formed. But only very few of her people ever left the Grove. If she were to fufill her life's precedented goal and were to become the next leader of her people, she knew in her heart that she would never leave. She would never witness the splendor of the land her people called _Hyrule_.

But it would be a unfathomable amount of seasons before she would become the Leader. That was how she was born, having the ability to control all seven elements that characterized her people. Fire was her inborn element, unpredictable and dangerous, but unlike the rest of her people, she had the ability to control Light, Shadow, Darkness, Water, Earth, and Wind. The ordinary Ginko could only control of their inborn element, or would have no power to speak of (though this was more uncommon). However, the Leader was to govern all elements, thus effectively governing the people.

She had a great loyalty to her people and the Elders that ruled in the absence of a true Leader, but she wasn't sure if she wanted the responsibilites and expectations that came with her status. She would never abandon the Ginko, it wasn't her place, and the gods would hate her for it. But occassionally, the silver-haired girl wished for the winds of change to bring new meaning to her life, to alter her inescapable destiny. She knew it was only wishful thinking, yet...

"JIPPET!"

The shrill cry came from her left, snapping her from her reverie and startling the flock of birds that had been taking refuge in the bushes. The girl, surprised, turned her head and glared at the source of the cacophony. A raven-haired youth emerged from the bushes, leaves caught in his long hair and twigs snagging on his clothing.

"Vessek..." she began, crossing her arms and eyeing him expectantly.

The boy chuckled, his brown orbs alight with mischief. "What? You should have seen the look on your face. It was positively delightful!"

Her blue gaze was still focused upon him. She extended a hand and beckoned to the prankster with her index finger. "Come here."

He didn't delay in his walk towards her, knowing that the petite girl wouldn't punish him or lash out. It simply wasn't in Jippetneya's nature to do so, no matter how upset or angered she became. He stopped in front of her and remained still as she reached her pale hands forward. She began picking the remnants of his hiding place off of his clothing and hair.

"Gee, what are you, my mum?" he mumbled under his breath, turning around so that she could remove the evidence from his backside. She pulled on his shoulder and he turned again. This time, she wiped the stray spatter of dirt from his cheek.

"I had ought to be. I am sure your real mother would be relieved," she commented, plucking a leaf from his hair with a wry smirk.

He stared at her blankly as he mulled over her words. She turned on her heel and continued down the path while he thought. "Hey!" he finally exclaimed, his face reddening. "Are you saying my mum doesn't like me?"

She glanced over her shoulder, amusement in her blue eyes. "That's exactly what I'm saying, Vessek."

The Ginko blinked once, the circular black marking around his eye following the movement. His face was now a beautiful, livid scarlet.

"HEY YOU! Get back here! Face me like a real man... I mean, Leader!" he exclaimed as he gave chase. Jippet giggled, placing both hands firmly around her headscarf, her bare feet kicking up the mud caused by the soft rains as they flew over the ground.

-S-

"What is the meaning of this?"

Jippet sighed, looking downwards as she entered her home. Her dress was in tatters, stained with mud and dirt, and she was soaking wet. Vessek was far from an inept hunter when it came to tracking people, and certainly wasn't gentle in his rough-housing. She adjusted the headscarf as if it were a crown, her last thread of diginty in such flith, the only article of clothing that went unscathed.

"I was playing around with Vessek, Mother," she replied honestly, her tone careful and slow.

"You're much too old for that sort of thing," her father snapped, his narrow silver eyes betraying his seriousness. "You will be twenty four cycles this summer, and you should not be playing with young boys any longer. Also - "

"Oh Yekkoati, she is only a child," her mother interrupted, a small, knowing smile on her face. "And what exactly were you doing at twenty four cycles, hm?"

The man blushed, and meekly replied, "Courting you, Maikaa. But I do not see what that has to do with - "

"Then let the poor girl alone, dearest," the woman smiled. She turned her head towards the stairs as she heard the telltale thump of her daughter's feet on the wood. It still felt so odd to see her daughter grow, knowing that she would stop changing at her twenty-fifth cycle, just like her parents and their parents before them.

"She has plenty of time to grow up."

Jippet sighed as she entered her room, and began to divest herself of her ruined garments. She tossed them aside, and grabbed a large bucket that was kept in the corner of her room, already filled with clean water. She took a cloth from her nightstand and began to bathe. As she did so, she began to think once more on her father's words.

She had known what was to come. His marriage lecture. She had plenty of time, of course, but his lectures also stated that she should be very cautious and particular around her male friends as she grew older. He didn't want her to fool around with pranksters like Vessek.

Of course, the term 'play' had several different connotations, and of course, like a father, he would assume something different rather than innocent games. Jippet rolled her eyes, scrubbing the dirt away from her arms with a firm hand.

But she wonderered... was Vessek the one that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with? The Ginkoes were a very long-lived people - the first of their kind had lived 900 cycles, maybe more! Some women didn't marry until they had reached their 100th cycle. She knew she had plenty of time to decide such a thing, but was unsure. Marrying Vessek would be just another tether formed by she herself to bind her to the Grove. But what was she thinking? That was a horrible thought. She was very affectionate towards the young man, she didn't need to think of him as a _tether._

She wrung the cloth in both hands until it was merely moist, then picked up her bucket and drained the contents out the window. After closing the shutter tightly again, Jippet wandered over to her closet to select her nightshift. As she browsed the few drab articles of clothing, she couldn't help but admire the ceremonial dress she would be wearing tomorrow. It was a unique color in the forest - black, with golden threads. She sighed wistfully and drew her nightshift from the closet, closing the door and retiring to bed.

-S-

The next day brought beautiful, sunny weather. The shower from yesterday had merely been a side-effect of the dreadful humidity that had befallen the Grove. Of course, it was always humid in the late sping and summertime.

Jippet grinned - it seemed a fair sign from the goddesess themselves that there should be good weather on the day of her Mastery Ceremony. She twirled the draping skirts of her ceremonial dress, laughing as they revealed a peek at her pale legs. Her mother had taken it upon herself to care for her appearance on this day.

"You look lovely, Jippet," Maikaa smiled, a sentimental expression on her slim features. "Just like your mother on her own Mastery Ceremony."

"Thank you, Mother," Jippet replied, her face involuntarily reddening. Maikaa was a beautiful woman, and she felt unworthy to be mentioned in the same breath as she. The girl twirled her skirts once more, and gazed out the window, where she could already see flocks of people venturing to the Square.

"We had best be off. You don't want to be late!" Maikaa said, causing Jippet to turn her head away from the crowd and follow her downstairs.

Jippet resisted the urge to wave at Kethro when they arrived at Elyon Square. It was a place of celebration and gathering, where all ceremonies took place, even the Leader's Coronation. Several families and their children bustled around the simple stone platform which served as the main attraction, the stage upon which she would recive the Medallion of Flames like the several Masters of Fire before her. Mastery Ceremonies were great events for the Ginko. They were times of celebration and joy. It was not often that someone mastered their given element, as it required so many years of discipline and training.

Jippet finally weaved her way through the mass of people, and ascended to the platform. Her eyes wandered through the crowd - she found her parents, her friend Brooiya, nearly everyone. But no matter where she cast her gaze, she couldn't find Vessek anywhere in the crowd.

_That's not like him. He wouldn't miss this..._

The girl's worry reflected on her face, and she wondered what might have happened to him. Perhaps he was simply running late? Nonsense, he was always early. No, maybe...

Her eyes widened as she came to the conclusion of what had befallen her dear friend. Vessek was always exploring the furthest reaches of the Grove, even going as far as to skirt the Nightland, a forbidden place. He must have went exploring _too_ far. Thoughts of Boko Babas and Peahats attacking the poor boy sent shivers down her spine, but what if even worse befell him, what if he was discovered by a _Nagaei_? But it was too late to voice her concerns. The ceremony had just begun.

Jippet tried to hurry the process along, surprisingly not tripping over her vows and her speech. At the end of the ceremony, the people begged for a grand display of her talent. She reluctantly offered them such, conjuring a great flaming dragon to circle above the crowd, twisting and writhing through the air like a serpent. Excitement shined on each face, and she felt upset that she could not share such happiness.

She knew that now, the focus would shift from her and to the celebration itself. Jippet walked briskly through the crowd, stopping several times to talk with an excited man or woman, before continuing on towards the edge of the party. Her goal was to rescue Vessek before anybody realized her absence.

She breathed a sigh of relief when she finally reached the trees that skirted the Square. The tightness in her chest at the fear of being caught loosened, and her eyes narrowed in determination. She was going to save Vessek, no matter the cost. With this thought, she hiked up her skirts and began walking to that terrible place, the place she knew her friend was trapped in.

_The Nightland._

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed this first little chapter. Muuuuuch more action to come in the next one, and then, the real fun begins. ;)**

**I would much appreciate it if you had the time to click the little fancy Review button below if you think that I should quit while I'm ahead. Then, I won't start the next chapter and save myself the trouble. XD**

**And then you'll neeeeeevvverrrr find out what happens to poor Jippetneya. :P**

**I promise to finish the next chapter of The Art of Deception as well, I'm just writing this to motivate me.**

**See ya for the next chapter! :)**


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